tonight on nl "nightline," the case for war. tonight, president obama tells the nation why we are in libya. does it make sense? the real price of a conflict that has cost $600 million so far. drama queen. how erica kane is the most famous soap star of all time. tonight, actress susan lucci tells us the surprising secret of her long, happy marriage. and taking us inside her off screen home. and this year's modal. he dreams of being a male

underwear modal. the problem? he was born a girl. the transformation from tanya to todd. good evening. i'm terry moran. as mt. obama tonight sought to make the case for the u.s. in libya, the fire raged on. raining fire on moammar gadhafi's hometown of sirte. alex what can you tell us about what is happening there? >> reporter: good evening. it's early morning here in benghazi. the rebels have been aible to push it front back to the edge of town, almost 350 miles away to the hometown of gadhafi,

sirte. every step along the way, you see a rag tag group of soldiers pushing west. >> at some point, they are going to meet the military and heavy weapons. they prepared if that? >> reporter: they are already seeing that. they come up to the line there is little coordination. there is little communication. cell phones don't work. there are no radios. it's clear they are full of passion. they are willing to die for the cause. it's evident they have not gotten this far without the air strikes. >> all right. stay safe there. we turn to the president's speech itself. hanging over the peach were the shadows of other wars and other presidencies. president obama wanted to make sure that libya was not iraq and

make sure that he is not president george bush of bill clinton. tonight, his goal was simple. to explain to the public spentics what about he has done in libya. >> what we have done what we plan to do and why it matters to us. >> reporter: it's been ten years since mr. obama ordered forces into combat in libya. nearly 200 tomahawk cruise missiles launched and air strikes. and the president wants to show that the u.s. role will be brief and limited. >> the united states and the world faced a choice. gadhafi declared he could share no mercy to his people. he compared them to rats and threatened to go door to door to inflict punishment. >> reporter: it was moammar gadhafi, obama said, what was

the main reason for war. he was able to launch a massacre of his own people. >> it was not in our best interest to let that happen. i refused that let that happen. >> reporter: so the attack again. what is it in the interest of the united states to go to war in libya? robert gates, obama's own secretary of defense, complicated problems for his boss on "this week" yesterday. >> do you think libya foesed a threat to the united states? >> no, no, it was not a vital interest to the united states but it was an interest. >> reporter: tonight, president obama sought to explain. he said that standing by could destabilize india and tunisia and cast a shadow over the world. it's a moral case the president

is making for car. >> some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atros cities in other countries. the united states is different. as president, i refuse to wait for the images of slaughter before taking action. >> reporter: the action in libya has turned the tide. rebel forces have taken all the territory they have lost to gadhafi and they are grounded planes and paved the way to tripoli. but that may have been the easy part. today, the rebel advance halted before the city of sirte, gts's hometown where he has forces hunkered down. and that leads to another question for the president. is helping the rebels get rid of gadhafi the goal? >> if we tried to overtime gadhafi by force, our coalition would splinter. the dangers faced by the men in

women in uniform would be far greater. so would the costs and our share of the responsibility for what comes next. to be blunt, we went down that road in iraq. >> reporter: and we aren't doing that again, the president said. but war has its own merciless lodgic and history is riddled with such declaration. the questions keep come. what happens if gadhafi doesn't go? could libya sism war drag the country to chaos? president obama didn't answer the questions. he delayered our values are our interests as the middle east erupts in unpredictable ref lucians. >> we can make a difference.

we must stand alongside those who believe in the some core principles that guide us through storms. >> be sure to watch requested good morning america" for the late interest "world news" tomorrow night. diane sawyer has an interview with the president. up next, susan lucci and the life he is shas kept hid from viewers. today we'e going to surprise people with the taste of activia. that' good. #wow. this is really good. great flavor! it's eally creamy, it's really tasty. ooh! wow! jamie lee curtis! it's acivia! it' delicious. i am shocked. it's had to believe it')s that good for you. it's so goo. try the fabulous taste of activia today. taste it, love it, or it's free! and now discover activia dessert. in rich indulgent flavors #like strawberry cheesecake. try activia dessert today. ♪ activia ,

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j.r. admits to marreese is a. >> reporter: he wents his family back and erica is taken to the

police station. if you know that story, you much watch "all my children." you may not know how little life resembles art for susan lucci. he is takes juju chang off. >> you be oprah i and will gail. >> reporter: it's like a "sex and the city" moment. >> can do you this? >> yeah. >> reporter: ultra expensive. he is is, after all, the most famous soap star of all time. >> i'm erica kane. >> reporter: play played her for

40 years. he matured into a conniving vixen, eight husbands, and over the top crescendos. why do you never leave? >> i love acting. it's a fresh script every day. >> reporter: her role landed her 21 emmy nominations. when people say it's on honor to be nominated. that's what it means. >> yeah, totally. >> reporter: but it was being the loser time and time again that made her more famous. >> the streak is over. susan lucci! >> my husband lifted me up by my elbow and anyone who saw the broadcast, i said to him, are you sure? and then i went up.

>> i truly never believed that this would happen. >> reporter: from oprah to kelly to rosie, it seemed everyone was rooting for her. >> thank you. i'm going back to that studio monday and i'm going to play erica kane for all she's worth. thank you. a lot of people ask where i keep the emmy and i tell them, on the mantle in the living room. >> reporter: i think you need a spotlight. he is took more around the traditional family room with heirloom. >> the other thing i love are the photos of our children growing up. >> reporter: i asked her if he is could show me a signature erica kane move.

he is perfected the slap. i recruited our producer to be the victim. >> i'm going wind up and make it let you like you have it. >> reporter: i'm ready for my lig slam moment. going to be so much fun. how is that? >> very good. >> reporter: thank you. >> i hate you! >> reporter: slaps, sex scenes, every juicy detail. it's all spelled out for her. >> i usually have eight or ten scenes every script. >> reporter: he is is on old fashioned celebrity keeping her private life to herself. and it's all in a book called "all my life". >> my son said, they want to know how do you it. everyone knows erica kane but no one knows about you. >> reporter: he is is a far cry

from her own life. he has been married to the same man almost as long as she has been playing erika kane. >> if there is a kand thal is not right on the way to the garage, she tops and fixing it. >> reporter: she was a devoted mother to her groan son and doubter. she insisted the contract gave her time off for the first day of school and other events. >> if the house was burning down, and i had to take one thing this is what i would take. >> reporter: she suffered when they went to college. >> i won't to the first and defense dark. and id made me so sad. >> reporter: with you making me cry. i dwoont to think about it. >> i was like you. i was saying, i don't want her

to move. why do they have to go away? i don't want thoer go away. >> reporter: they may be your average grandparents but not ordinary empty nesters. her alter ego sometimes dropping by uninvited. do you ever get erica kane at home? >> i will go away. >> i think there is a little bit of erica in her. and i say, honey, you are home now. >> reporter: she is not a diva. >> i will not let my fans down. >> reporter: she just plays one on tv. i'm juju chang on "nightline." >> her new book, "all my life" goes on sale tomorrow. thanks for that. now to an aspiring male model with body issues, starting

with the fact he was born female. host: could switching to geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance? host: is the pen mightier than the sword? ninja 2: ow vo: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.

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as a culture, we love transformation stories. the frog that turns into a prince and the ugly duckling that turns to a swan. but the spell can be broken with the characters of the story are real people and the story deals with she and he. here is lisa ling. >> nine and ten. >> reporter: wow, you are jacked. >> thank you, getting there. >> reporter: you are not what i expected. so much more muscular. 32-year-old tan fla ya has been on testosterone. he is tried to look for a man.

and he is coupled with it a workout regime that she began to trons form herself. i isn't see a hint of the woman she used to be. and tanya is female. he has the parts that hormones won't change. he wears a sports bra. why do you think you have to have the surgery? as you look now there is no way of telling you are a man. >> it's for me. when i look at the mirror, i don't look at myself completely. i don't look at this part. i hate it. >> reporter: he works in the family restaurant with his mother, kim. >> he is a boy trapped in the body. i'm having a hard with it.

i'm losing my doubter. >> reporter: tanya was all about masculine things. buzz cuts, and puberty stuck early and that girl was angry. >> i was allowed at my paint, god. i allowed anger to catch up with my life. >> reporter: we caught up with him after the breast removal surgery. he is putting his best face forward with his new body. >> i all all my breast tissue taken out. i would love to be the first transgender male underwear model. come charging through and break all stereo tichs. when i look in the mirror, i see a dude. >> reporter: he had one more

step to take. he changed his name to ty. more the mother, it was a step to meeting her new son. >> finally, he gets to be who he is and that makes me happy. i love you. >> reporter: having the love and support of his family has helped ty find his way. now that ty no longer has breasts to conceal, his family has gathered. >> this is getting rid of the sports bras. 23 years of wearing these puppies. >> reporter: the bonfire a celebration of transformation. finally, the word seeing ty the way he has always seen himself. this is lisa ling for "nightline" in california. >> with you catch the full story tomorrow on her show "our america" of own. thank yor